Romanticism To Modernism
Course Syllabus
Fall Semester 2008/2009
Daily 2 10:35-11:35
Instructor: Kurt Maier
Overview:
NOTE: This is a foundation course for upper division high school students intending to go to college. It is classified as a WIC (writing intensive course) for the purposes of tracking on a transcript as AP or college preparatory.
The theme of this class deals with the paradigm shift from Romanticism to Modernism in the philosophical and artistic world of Western Europe and America. This shift in how individuals thought about/expressed themselves is still reverberating even today. We will focus most of our time and energy on literature produced during this period, but we will also examine how painters and composers expressed this change. Class members will be expected to interpret the texts and works we study through the lens of each movement as well as to tap into their own life experiences and ideas in order to synthesize and explain (through papers and projects) what they think/see/feel.
Reading List:
Johann Wolfgang Goethe, selected poems
William Blake, Songs of Innocence and Experience
John Keats, Ode On A Grecian Urn
Edgar Allen Poe, The Tell-Tale Heart and Cask of the Amontillado
Emily Dickinson, selected poems
Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter
Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness
F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
selected Modernist poets, TBA
Grading Policy:
The grading is based on a point system with a possible 100 points being the maximum. Completion of the course awards .5 Language Arts credit.
Participation = discussion and attendance 10 points
Paper 1 10
Paper 2 15
Paper 3 15
Romanticism Art Project 10
Modernism Art Project 10
Heart of Darkness Exam 10
Final Exam 20
Breakdown:
100 A+
99 - 92 A
91 - 90 A-
89 - 88 B+
87 - 82 B
81 – 80 B-
79 – 78 C+
77 – 72 C
71 – 70 C-
69 – 60 D
59 – 0 F
NOTE: While it is officially “passing”, Oregon colleges (as well as some others) do not accept credit for classes that receive a D grade or lower.
Final Exam:
A multiple choice/essay test at the end of the term will be administered to cover plot, character, author’s purpose, sub-text, symbolism and metaphor, and how each selection reflects specific and general ideas of Romanticism and/or Symbolism.
Papers:
Three papers will be assigned. All are required. All papers must be typed, using standard margins and fonts and meet MLA formatting and style guidelines. Students will be able to select from a set of provided essay topics or present their own (based on instructor pre-approval!). All papers turned in after the due date will be penalized with 10% off the final grade for each school day they are late. All papers are due at the START of the class on the day they are due. The instructor reserves the right to suggest or REQUIRE A RE-WRITE. If a re-write is assigned the student and instructor will agree upon a new due date with the same late penalties as before. Suggested or required re-writes will earn new (better!) grades if the work improves.
Art Projects:
Two different art projects will be assigned. In each one the student will create a piece of visual art (painting, collage, interpretive dance, etc.) that exemplifies the artistic paradigm in question. All Art Projects must include a short essay that interprets and explains how the work of art fulfills the given criteria.
COURSE CALENDAR
Please note that due to class interest, teacher illness, unforeseen events, etc. The assignments and due dates are subject to change. As you can clearly see the Syllabus becomes less specific towards the end of the semester. Those of you who know Trillium will understand that these unplanned weeks will further allow for more time to follow avenues of study as they arise as well as to catch up and complete what was already assigned. Specific reading assignments (by chapter and/or page) will be given on a daily and weekly basis once the semester begins.
Week 1 9/8-9/11
Introduction: From Reason to Romanticism to Modernism
Johann Wolfgang Goethe, selected poems
William Blake, Songs of Innocence and Experience
Week 2 9/15- 9/18
John Keats, Ode On A Grecian Urn
Edgar Allen Poe, The Tell-Tale Heart and Cask of the Amontillado
1st paper assigned
Week 3 9/22-9/25 (US campouts)
Romantic Painters and Composers
Emily Dickinson, selected Poems
Week 4 9/29-10/2
Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter
more Romantic Painters and Composers
1st paper due 10/2
2nd paper assigned
Week 5 10/6-10/19
The Scarlet Letter
Week 6 10/13-10/16
The Scarlet Letter
2nd paper due 10/16
Romanticism Art Project Assigned
Week 7 10/20-10/23
Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness
Week 8 10/27-10/30
Heart of Darkness
Week 9 11/3-11/6
Heart of Darkness
Romanticism Art Project due 11/6
Week 10 11/10- 11/13
Heart of Darkness
Modernist painters and composers
Heart of Darkness Exam
Week 11 11/17-11/20
F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
more Modernist painters and composers
3rd paper assigned
Week 12 11/24-11/27 NO SCHOOL Thanksgiving Break
The Great Gatsby
Week 13 12/1-12/4
The Great Gatsby
Modernist Poets, TBA
Week 14 12/8-12/11
The Great Gatsby
Modernist Poets, TBA
Modernism Art Project Assigned
3rd paper due 12/8
Week 15 12/15-12/18 (Middle School Intensives)
Short Stories, TBA
more Modernist painters and composers
Week 16 NO SCHOOL Winter Break
Week 17 NO SCHOOL Winter Break
Week 18 1/5-1/8
Short Stories, TBA
In Class Short Story Essay Test
Week 19 1/12-1/15
TBA
Modernism Art Project Due 1/14
Week 20 1/19-1/22 (no school on 1/19)
A taste of Post Modernism
All late Projects/ Re-write Papers are Due by 1/21/09!!!
Week 21 1/26-1/29
review
Comprehensive Final Exam 1/28 and 1/29
